Aug 1999 CTS Archive
- Harvick BGN News UPDATE: Hearing that the #65 Sasser Motorsports BGN team, the one house in Junior Johnson’s shops will field two teams, one for Kevin Harvick, the other for Kevin Schwantz. Suposedly will run select races in the remainder of the season. No idea if RCR has a hand in the Harwick deal(8-19-1999) — UPDATE: Kevin Harvick will get his first ride with Richard Childress at Darlington next week in a Busch car prepared by Will Lind. Before this week’s Darlington test, Lind was figuring Harvick, who had never seen Darlington Raceway, had maybe a 10 percent chance of making the field. After the test, Lind is now optimistic, saying Harvick has a 50-50 shot at winning a spot on speedPitNow(8-29-1999)
- Menard to NASCAR: John Menard, the Wisconsin billionaire who has spent millions trying to win the Indianapolis 500, has set his sights on the crown jewel of stock-car racing, as well. With the aim of reaching the Winston Cup Series and the Daytona 500 within five years, Menard is starting a NASCAR team that will compete with driver Bryan Reffner on the Craftsman Truck Series next season. Menard and Reffner, the 1996 Truck Series rookie of the year from Wisconsin Rapids, have agreed upon a multiple-year contract. Reffner said he could not reveal the terms. Initially, at least, the truck operation will be based in the same shop in Indianapolis as Team Menard of the Indy Racing League, or in a nearby building. Thomas Knapp, the general manager of Menard’s IRL team, will take on a similar role with the NASCAR team. But Reffner, 35, also will wield considerable influence in the management. He was in Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday, working with a chassis builder and talking to existing teams about purchasing used equipment. In 89 starts, Reffner has five top-five finishes with a best of third (Flemington, N.J., 1998) and about $650,000 in earnings in the series. See the full story at Menard has NASCAR on mind by Dave Kallmann of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel(8-29-1999)
- Hensley to leave: Jimmy Hensley driver of the #43 Dodge and owner Richard Petty have mutually agreed to part ways at the close of the 1999 CTS season. No word on where Hensley will go or who Petty will choose as a new driver(NOL)(8-27-1999)
- Hornaday Crew Chief: Sandy Jones is out as crew chief for Ron Hornaday and Steve Hmiel is in on an interim basis on the #16 DEI truck. DEI called Jones’ leaving a “mutual separation.” Hmiel will fill the role until a replacement is found(NOL)(8-27-1999)
- Country Cool Article: Connecting the Circuits: Truckin’ on to Kansas(8-25-1999)
- New Personnel at JGR: Joe Gibbs Racing announced this week that Steve de Sousa has joined the team as vice president of Busch Operations. De Sousa will be responsible for the development and management of the #18 Busch Grand National entry sponsored by MBNA and driven by Jason Leffler, and a planned second team, if sponsorship can be secured. De Sousa, a former World Champion Formula One powerboat racer, was a founding partner of Progressive Motorsports, which fields cars for Jeff Green and Jason Keller in the Busch Series. He has a history with Joe Gibbs through Interstate Batteries, which sponsored his powerboat team from 1991 until he retired as a driver and sold his team in 1995(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(8-23-1999)
- Menard to the CTS? hearing IRL owner, John Menard is looking to start a Truck team with former CTS Rookie of the Year Bryan Reffner. Reffner recently was driving the #7 Conley truck but left last week(8-23-1999)
- #3 RCR CTS team and BGN news: GM/Goodwrench will not be back with the #3 CTS Childress team in 2000. Jay Sauter is studying his options(BGN #59?). Richard Childress will have a press conference at 10am/et Saturday to announce his intentions as far as the Craftsman truck series next year — UPDATE: Richard Childress and Kevin Harvick confirmed that Harvick will drive for Childress in the #2 ACDelco Chevrolet in the BGN series in 2000. Childress said that his team will deemphasize its NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series program to concentrate on its Cup and BGN(NOL)(8-21-1999)
- Hornaday News: #16 CTS driver Ron Hornaday, who will move in 2000 to the BGN in the #3 NAPA Chevy, may have as many as five stock car races this fall to prepare for a full BGN season in 2000. Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Director of Motorsports Ty Norris said on Friday night prior to the Ram Tough 200 that Hornaday would run NAPA Chevrolets in no less than two races, at Phoenix and Homestead-Miami, with the event at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham also a possibility. Norris also said discussions were underway with Team SABCO to put Hornaday in the #01 Tracfone Winston Cup Chevy that has been fielded in a few events this season for Jeff Green, for possibly two events. Sources said the UAW/GM Quality 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway might be one of those events(NOL)(8-21-1999)
- No Sprague in Cup UPDATE: the rumor that #24 CTS driver, Jack Sprague would move up to Winston Cup were apparently false. NOL reports that Sprague will return to the #24 GMAC Hendrick Motorsports truck in 2000, well actually Rick Hendrick says GMAC and the team will return truck next year and he “hopes Jack’s the driver”(NOL)(7-21-1999) — UPDATE: During the Gateway CTS race it was said that Jack Sprague had announced he would be driving the 24 GMAC Chevy in the CTS next year(8-21-1999)
- CTS Rules Change: A rule change was made allowing the Chevy truck teams to add 1/4″ to the front valance panels of their trucks. The ground clearance for Chevrolets at the front is now 3.75″, while Fords and Dodges remain at 4″(NOL)(8-20-1999)
- No DEI CTS team: Dale Earnheardt Inc(DEI) will probably not field a Truck(CTS) team in 2000. The team may keep some trucks and motors and if a sponsor is found run Steve Park, Dale Earnhardt Jr or Ron Hornaday in a few selected events. Hornaday is moving to the DEI BGN team in the #3 NAPA Parts Chevy and of course Little E is moving full time to Cup. Steve Paek was looking into running BGN part time in 2000 but DEI shot down the idea wanting him to concentrate on the #1 Cup ride(Winston Cup Scene Magazine)(8-20-1999)
- Houston Story: Houstons are something old, something new(AP/Tennessean)(8-19-1999)
- CTS Notes: Ram Tough 200 Wednesday notebook from NOL(8-19-1999)
- Harvick to RCR…Update 5: Expect Richard Childress Racing (RCR) to announce this weekend at the Pepsi 400 at Michigan Speedway they’re expanding their two-car Cup and single-truck teams into the BGN division in 2000 and beyond. Childress has secured AC-Delco as a full BGN sponsor and tapped former Winston West tyro and current Craftsman Truck driver Kevin Harvick for the ride. Young Harvick is currently 10th in the Truck points and has parlayed his steady showing there into what has to be considered a choice new team in the BGN. RCR plans to race with Harvick in a few selected BGN races this year as a shakedown before full-time competition in 2000. RCR is also expected to expand the BGN operation into a two-car team in the latter part of 2000 with current BGN competitor Mike Dillon wheeling the second car(TNN Motorsports site) see the original story and updates below(8-17-1999)
- Fellows Schedule: Look for Ron Fellows to run at least two mote CTS races at Topeka(road course) and at Texas(oval) in the #87 Chevy truck(RPM2Nite)(8-17-1999)
- Carelli Back: as a consultant – One of the most successful drivers in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history is joining the #98 Liberty Racing team as a consultant, team owner Jim Herrick announced Monday. Rick Carelli begins the assignment at the Ram Tough 200 at Gateway in Madison, Illinois on Friday, August 20. By joining the Porter-Cable Racing team, Carelli is united with crew chief Rodney Haygood, who directed him to two of his NCTS victories. Haygood joined Liberty Racing in July. Carelli also had a long-time relationship with driver Kevin Harvick. During Harvick’s childhood, his father, Mike was Carelli’s crew chief.(Porter Cable PR)(8-17-1999)
- goRacing Truck: August 20 will mark the debut of the goracing.com NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entry at the Ram Tough 200 at Gateway International Raceway. It also marks series rookie Ross Thompson’s debut with the truck(GoRacing)(8-17-1999)
- DEI/RCR Trucks? Good news for NASCAR’s Truck circuit bosses: Richard Childress and Dale Earnhardt are expected to continue with teams on that still struggling tour. The two Chevy men have considered pulling out because of rising expenses, but NASCAR executives have been pressuring them to continue(PitNow)(8-16-1999)
- #14 CTS Crew Chief: Mike Cheek has taken over as crew chief of the #14 Circle Bar Ford F-150 race team and driver Rick Crawford. He will make his official debut at crew chief at this Friday’s Ram Tough 200 at the Gateway International Raceway. The agreement will place Mike Cheek as crew chief for the remainder of the 1999 season and the entire 2000 season as well(Circle Bar PR)(8-16-1999)
- Harvick to RCR? UPDATE 4 and Dillon: I hear that #98 Porter Cable Truck driver Kevin Harvick has signed with Richard Childress to run his BGN car in 2000 with AC Delco as the sponsor(6-30-1999) — UPDATE: I hear that in addition to owning the new team with Harvick driving, Childress will own a team for Mike Dillon(8-2-1999) — UPDATE 2: Richard Childress may be losing a Craftsman Truck team next season, but he’ll be gaining two BGN teams in 2000. Childress’ son-in-law, Mike Dillon, who currently drives the #59 ST Motorsports Chevrolet will run a 2nd RCR BGN team with associate sponsor Rockwell Automation. AC Delco will sponsor the second RCR Busch car for Craftsman Truck series driver Kevin Harvick(SpeedVision/iRace)(8-3-1999) —UPDATE 2: hmm..now hearing that Rockwell Automation will not be the sponsor of the Dillon team(8-5-1999) — UPDATE 4: getting closer……NASCAR Truck series regular Kevin Harvick has signed to drive a Grand National series car next season for Richard Childress Racing. The team plans an announcement next weekend at Michigan Speedway. Harvick, who has worked with Liberty Racing in the truck series, will participate in some Grand National and Automobile Racing Club of America races this season for Childress in preparation for his move next season. Harvick had signed a three-year contract with Liberty Racing to start the 1999 season but Liberty allowed him to explore other options(That’s Racin’)(8-15-1999)
- Crew Chief Change: Crew chief Joe Shear, Jr. and the #31 Brevek Racing CTS team have parted ways and Les Back of Vesper, WI was hired for the Indianapolis race and then hired permanently as of Monday Aug. 9. Back was the Crewchief for Bryan Reffner when he won the championship in ASA and was crewchief in 1997-1998 for Bryan when he drove for Carlin #66 truck(8-13-1999)
- Ware to Trucks: Rick Ware, Winston West Series car owner and driver will use the balance of the season to redirect team efforts to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The decision to run a few races this year is part of the team’s short and long-term goal to compete in the series.(RacingWest)(8-5-1999)
- New Truck Tracks UPDATE: TNN’s raceday reports that three tracks may be added to the 2000 Truck series schedule: Rockingham, Dover and……Daytona in July(8-2-1999) — UPDATE: Hearing that Dodge recently tested at Talladega, my understanding is this was a test to see how the trucks would run at Daytona. Why test at Talladega instead of Daytona, very little press and easier to keep it quiet(8-3-1999)
Born On Date is January 23, 2000
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